Port Vale v Grimsby Town preview – pressure’s on for Valiants to maintain promotion push

The Vale view

Form

Vale’s form has generally been very good until that blip against Carlisle so the side will be keen to return to winning ways as soon as possible. The good news is that the Valiants have won four of their last five home games.

Fitness

Vale’s main concern will be over captain Ben Garrity. After he limped out during Carlisle it seems unlikely he will recover in time for this game. If Garrity doesn’t make it the choices appear to be Ronan Curtis, Rico Richards or Ethan Chislett. Long-term absentees include Ben Heneghan, Kyle John and James Plant.

Team selection

After naming an unchanged side on Friday, it’s likely Moore will make changes for this game. Youngster Jack Shorrock was tested on Friday and could be replaced by Sam Hart or (perhaps more of a long shot) the fit again Jaheim Headley. If captain Ben Garrity is unfit then Ronan Curtis is favourite to step in. Moore may also swop Rhys Walters for George Byers.

Possible line-up

Formation: 3-4-1-2

Starting eleven: Amos – Debrah, Smith, Hall – Clark, Croasdale, Byers, Hart – Curtis. Tolaj, Stockley

Viewing guide

This game is outside of the Saturday 3pm balckout period and so Vale fans in the UK will be able to watch via the Sky Sports+ service. Viewers outside of the UK can see the game on the PVTV service.

Guide to the opposition

Club factfile

• Team: Grimsby Town
• League: League Two
• Manager: David Artell

Trivia: Town have won just once in their last four games.

Man in charge

Former Crewe boss David Artell is sure of a “warm” welcome from Vale fans after some controversial comments after previous meetings with the Valiants. Artell was also the sole player in the squad to reject terms when the Vale were in administration in 2012 which further cemented his reputation as terrace boo boy. As a manager he took Crewe to promotion in 2020 and took over as Grimsby manager in November 2023 winning 27 of 77 games in charge.

Form

Town have won once in their last four games. They last won on the road three games ago when they defeated Colchester United 2-1. However, they suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Swindon Town on Good Friday.

One to watch

Forward Danny Rose leads the assists table for Grimsby and has also netted twelve times as well.

History

Current Connections

The Valiants could be reunited with former defender Lewis Cass who is in the Grimsby squad. The defender joined Vale in 2022 after an earlier spell on loan. He made 71 appearances, scoring twice before being released in the summer. He subsequently joined Grimsby where he has made 31appearances, scoring once. There’s also two other former Valiants in the squad in former loan strikers Donovan Wilson and Rekeil Pyke with the latter on loan at Eastleigh.

On the Vale side, Dan Jones has had spells with both but he won’t be involved as he’s on loan at Gateshead.

Former Connections

Players to appear for both sides in recent seasons include defenders Adam Crookes and Zak Mills. Striker George Lloyd has also had loan spells with both clubs. Midfielder Scott Burgess has also had spells with both sides.

Featured connection

Micky Cummins was highly regarded during the midfielder’s six year spell at Vale Park. The Irishman joined on a free transfer from Middlesbrough and played 287 games, scoring 34 goals. He left the club in 2006 and had a spell at Grimsby during the 2010-2011 season. He finished his career with 588 appearances and 67 goals.

Overall record

• Port Vale wins: 34
• Port Vale losses: 43
• Draws: 18

Trivia: Vale won their last home game against Grimsby 3-0.

Last time we met

The Valiants suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat on the road. It meant the Valiants ended 2024 on a low note.

Fixture history

The first meeting took place in 1893 and ended in a 2-0 win for Grimsby. The Mariners also won the return game 1-0. It took until the fourth game for Vale to score but they did it in style with a 6-1 win in December 1893. Remarkably it came two days after Vale had lost 4-0 to Grimsby. Billy Beats scored Vale’s first goal against Town.

Archive

A selection of images taken from previous games.

Brief history

The club was founded in 1878 and changed its name to Grimsby Town in 1879. It moved to Blundell Park in 1898. Grimsby have reached the FA Cup semi-final stage as well as playing in the top-flight from 1901 to 1903 and from 1929 to 1932 and 1934 to 1947. They have also been managed by the legendary Bill Shankly. In more recent years, they have had two spells out of the Football League, during which time they reached the final of the FA Trophy. They returned to the League through the play-offs in 2022.

Club records

• Record appearance holder: John McDermott, 754
• Record goalscorer: Pat Glover, 180
• Biggest win: 8-0 v Tranmere Rovers, 1925
• Biggest loss: 1-9 v Arsenal, 1931

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